Dress-form



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,.

A. TUOK & H. A. SMITH.

DRESS FORM Patnted Dec. 4, 1888...

FIG .1.

\mmEasEs.

(No Model.): 2 SheetsSheet 2.

A. TUGK 81; H. A. SMITH.

DRESS FORM.

Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

ADALINE TUCK AND HENRY A. SMITH, OF LYNN, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT,

AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To wINTHRoP HAMMOND, TRUSTEE, OF wo- DRESS- FORM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,799, dated December 4, 1888.

Application filed July 14, 1888. $eria1No. 279,963. (No model.)

To all whont it may concern/.-

Be it known that we, ADALINE TU GK and HENRY A. SMITH, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have in- 5 vented certain new and useful Improvements in Dress-Forms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to prox'ide a form for draping the skirts of ladies dresses, adapted to be adjusted to give the Skirt any desired fullness at the rear portion with or without changing the fullness at the front and sides; and to this end it consists in the several improvements, which we will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of our improved form. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 represent detail views.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents a vertical standard having a suitable base, which is preferably composed of legs a a, which are pivoted to the standard so that they can be compactly folded, said base being constructed to support the standard in a vertical position.

9 represents a sleeve or runner adapted to slide on the standard a, and provided with a setscrew, 1', whereby it maybe secured to the Standard at any desired height. To the runner g are pivoted the lower ends of a Series of braces, 6, preferably three in number, and arranged at equal distances apart, although any other desired number may be used. The upper ends of said braces are secured by bolts 0 o to an adjustable belt, Z), composed of a strip of sheet metal or other suitable flexible material, the strip being bent into a circle and its overlapping ends confined by a clasp, b, of any Suitable construction. The belt may be expanded or contracted to any desired size.

'jj 7' representlongitudinalstrips of sheet metal attached at their upper ends by rivets or otherwise to the belt I) and extending clownwardly therefrom.

To said Strips are attached intersecting lateral strips 713 k k k 10 k, the two series of strips with the belt I) and the bustle strip m, hereinafter described, constituting the skirt supporting devices. The strip k is provided with slots 8 in its front ends, through which pass bolts 2, which secure the ends of the strip 70 to the strips j The bolts 15 are provided with clampingnuts, which may be tightened to clamp or loosened to release the strip k. Said strip extends diagonally upward toward the rear of the device and bears at its central rear portion against the bustle-Strip m, which is a piece of sheet metal riveted to the rear portion of the belt and extending downwardly therefrom, its lower end being slotted and detachably secured by a clamping bolt or device, n, to the rear port-ion of the strip If, so that any desired projection or curvature may be given to the bustlestrip by moving its lower end up or down. The strips k L and k are substantially like the strip 70 but are arranged horizontally, or nearly so, their forward slotted ends being secured by clamping-bolts t t to the strips j. The strips it It are shorter than the strips k, 73, k and k", and are permanently riveted to the front vertical strip, j; their ends having slots 3, which receive the clamping-bolts it.

It will be seen that the strips is, W, H, and M, with the longitudinal strips to which they are attached, constitute the supports for the side and rear portions of the skirt, and may be termed the fback skirt-supporting section of the form, while the shorter strips, k k, and vertical strips j j constitute the supports for the front of the skirt, and may be termed the f front skirt-supporting section of the form. It will also be seen that the said back supporting-section is adjustable independently of the said front supporting-section, so that the fullness of the rear portion may be varied to any desired extent without variation of the fullness of the front and with-- out variation of the width of the form from side to side, and the fullness of the front portion may also be varied without variation of the fullness or width of the back portion.

To keep the front supporting-section of the form at a uniform distance from the supporting-standard u. we pivot" to the collar or runner g braces o, the outer ends of which are provided with hooks or clasps formed to engage the vertical strips j j or any other suitable portions of the front supporting-section.

The strips 7. 7. 7. k4 are held in place on the vertical strips j by staples 2', attached to said vertical strips, the strips 79, 76 &c., being adapted to slide in said staples.

It will be seen that the entire form is supported by the adjustable sleeve or runner g, so that the form may be quickly raised or lowered on the standard a, and may thus be tixed at any height which the operator may find convenient.

The legs a are secured to a sleeve, 0', which is adjustable on the standard (1, and is secured by a set -serew, 1", at any desired height.

\Ye elaim 1. As an improvement in dress-forms, the combination of the standard having the adjustable collar or runner, the upper adjustable belt or band, the trout section having its vertical strips depending from said belt or band, the rear section adjustable with relation to said front section, and also having its eral strips having slots in their ends, the diagvertical strips depending from said belt or band, the horizontal braces 0, secured to said front section and to said collar or runner for holding said front section rigid, and the braces c, also attached to said collar or runner and to said belt or band at their upper ends, substantially as set forth.

2. As an improvement in (ll'OSS-fOllllS, the combination of the standard having the collar or runner, thebelt or band, the braces connected thereto and to said collar or runner, the longitudinal strips depending from said belt or band, the surrouiuling lateral strips having slotted ends, and the bolts passed through said slotted ends and through said longitudinal strips, substantially as described.

3. In a dress-form, the combination of the supporting-standard, the collar or runner 1,

adjustably secured thereto, the braces c, pivoted to said runner, the adjustable belt or hoop t), secured to said braces, the front skirtsupporting section composed of the vertical strips depending from said belt or band, and. lateral strips 7.1 is, secured to said strips j j, and the back skirt-supporting section composed of the strips j j secured to said belt or band, and lateral strips la 75 7;" [0, attached to said stripsj, and adjustably secured to the front section, as set: forth.

-.t. As an improvement; in dress-forms, the combination of the standard having the collar or runner, the belt or band connected thereto, the longitudinal strips depending from said belt or band, the lateral strips connected to said longittulinal strips, and the flexible bustle-strip rigidly secured at one end to said belt and detachably secured at its other end by a bolt to one of said lateral strips, substantially as described.

5. As an improvement in dress-forms, the coml'iination, with the standard and the adjustable collar or runner, ot' the adjustable belt or band rigidly connected to said collar or runner, the depending longitudinal strips secured to said belt or band, the sericsot'latonally-arranged strip 7.1, the bolts 1, working in apertures of said longitudinal strips and projcctwl through said slots, and the flexible bustle-strip rigidly secured at one end to said belt or band and adj ustably attached at the other end to one of said lateral strips and supported or braced by said strip 7;, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this Uth day of July, A. D. 1898.

ADALIXE 'lltK. HENRY A. SMITH.

\V it nesses:

ELIZABETH 'l. HAMMOND, ARTHUR W. CRossLEv. 

